India's seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami has been deemed unfit to participate in the remaining two Tests against Australia.
Despite featuring in India's domestic tournaments, a statement from the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday, stated that the pacer is still not fit to return back to action.
"His left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload. The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period," the statement read.
"Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy."
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The statement added that the 34-year-old will undergo strength and conditioning training, and continue work on his bowling loads to meet the demands of Test cricket. Shami’s participation in the ongoing 50-overs domestic tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy has also been kept on hold.
Nursing a recurring right-heel injury since his phenomenal display at the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, Shami had marked his return to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy last month.
The right-arm seamer managed to claim a seven-wicket haul in the first-class outing, and has since participated in nine Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) games for West Bengal.
When inquired about Shami’s fitness during the ongoing Test series, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had said, “There is no way we want to take that chance – unless we are not 100%, 200% sure, we're not going to take any risk.”
Shami, who has 64 Tests under his belt, has been a key feature of India’s touring sides Down Under in recent years. From his eight Test outings in Australia, he has snapped 31 wickets.
In his absence, India included newcomer Harshit Rana in the Test setup alongside spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep in their pace unit.
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